Red Hot Chili Peppers Members: Current Lineup, Every Guitarist and Who’s Who

Last updated: October 2026

Key takeaways

• Kiedis and Flea are the only members who have been in the band since the start.
• Founding guitarist Hillel Slovak died of a drug overdose on June 25, 1988; Frusciante and Smith joined later that year.
• John Frusciante has been in the band three times: 1988–1992, 1998–2009 and 2019 to now.
• With more than 120 million records sold, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 and got a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2022.
• The band holds the record for the most No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart, with 15.

Every Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist and drummer

Years	Guitar	Drums
1982–1983	Hillel Slovak	Jack Irons
1983–1985	Jack Sherman	Cliff Martinez
1985–1986	Hillel Slovak	Cliff Martinez
1986–1988	Hillel Slovak	Jack Irons
1988	DeWayne McKnight	D. H. Peligro
1988–1992	John Frusciante	Chad Smith
1992–1993	Arik Marshall, then Jesse Tobias	Chad Smith
1993–1998	Dave Navarro	Chad Smith
1998–2009	John Frusciante	Chad Smith
2009–2019	Josh Klinghoffer	Chad Smith
2019–present	John Frusciante	Chad Smith

Anthony Kiedis and Flea have been the constants through every one of these lineups.

All Red Hot Chili Peppers members, past and present

Member	Role	Years in band	Born	Age (Oct. 2026)	Birthplace
Anthony Kiedis	Lead vocals	1982–present	November 1, 1962	63	Grand Rapids
Flea	Bass	1982–present	October 16, 1962	64	Melbourne
Chad Smith	Drums	1988–present	October 25, 1961	64	Saint Paul
John Frusciante	Guitar	1988–1992, 1998–2009, 2019–present	March 5, 1970	56	Astoria
Hillel Slovak	Guitar	1982–1983, 1985–1988	April 13, 1962	Died June 25, 1988 (age 26)	Haifa
Jack Irons	Drums	1982–1983, 1986–1988	July 18, 1962	64	Los Angeles
Jack Sherman	Guitar	1983–1985	January 18, 1956	Died August 18, 2020 (age 64)	Miami
Cliff Martinez	Drums	1983–1986	February 2, 1954	72	The Bronx
Dave Navarro	Guitar	1993–1998	June 7, 1967	59	Santa Monica
Josh Klinghoffer	Guitar	2009–2019	October 3, 1979	47	United States
DeWayne McKnight	Guitar	1988	April 17, 1954	72	Los Angeles
D. H. Peligro	Drums	1988	July 9, 1959	Died October 28, 2022 (age 63)	St. Louis
Arik Marshall	Guitar	1992–1993	February 13, 1967	59	—
Jesse Tobias	Guitar	1993	April 1, 1972	54	Austin

Ages are as of October 2026.

Who’s who in the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Anthony Kiedis

Anthony Kiedis was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and moved to Los Angeles as a kid, where he met Flea at Fairfax High School. He writes the band’s lyrics, from “Under the Bridge,” his love letter to L.A., to “Scar Tissue,” and told his story in the 2004 memoir Scar Tissue.

Flea

Flea, born Michael Balzary in Melbourne, Australia, grew up in New York and Los Angeles. His slap-bass style defines the band’s funk side. He has also acted, including in Back to the Future Part II, and wrote the memoir Acid for the Children (2019).

Chad Smith

Chad Smith, from St. Paul, Minnesota, joined in late 1988 and has played on every album since Mother’s Milk. He is often mistaken for Will Ferrell, which led to a televised drum-off between the two in 2014.

John Frusciante

John Frusciante joined at 18, a fan of the band, and played on Mother’s Milk and Blood Sugar Sex Magik before quitting mid-tour in 1992. He came back for Californication (1999), left again in 2009 and returned in December 2019 for Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen (both 2022).

Hillel Slovak

Founding guitarist Hillel Slovak was born in Haifa, Israel, and grew up in Los Angeles with Kiedis, Flea and Irons. He played on Freaky Styley and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan and died on June 25, 1988, at age 26. The band’s song “Knock Me Down” was written after his death.

Jack Irons

Founding drummer Jack Irons left after Slovak’s death in 1988. He later played drums for Pearl Jam from 1994 to 1998.

Jack Sherman

Jack Sherman played guitar on the 1984 debut album, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, while Slovak was busy with his other band. He died in 2020.

Cliff Martinez

Cliff Martinez drummed on the first two albums and went on to become a film composer, scoring Drive and Traffic.

Dave Navarro

Dave Navarro, from Santa Monica and Jane’s Addiction, played on One Hot Minute (1995), the band’s only album between Frusciante’s first two stints.

Josh Klinghoffer

Josh Klinghoffer, a Frusciante collaborator, replaced him in 2009 and played on I’m with You (2011) and The Getaway (2016). He has since toured with Pearl Jam.

Red Hot Chili Peppers history: an L.A. band from day one

The Chili Peppers are a Los Angeles story. Kiedis, Flea, Slovak and Irons met at Fairfax High School, and the band’s songs keep coming back to the city, from “Under the Bridge” to “Californication.”

• 1982–1983: The four friends form the band, briefly playing as Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem.
• 1984–1987: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Freaky Styley (produced by George Clinton) and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan.
• 1988: Hillel Slovak dies; Irons leaves; Frusciante and Smith join.
• 1989–1991: Mother’s Milk, then the breakthrough Blood Sugar Sex Magik with “Under the Bridge” and “Give It Away.”
• 1995: One Hot Minute with Dave Navarro.
• 1999–2006: Frusciante returns for Californication, By the Way and Stadium Arcadium.
• 2011–2016: I’m with You and The Getaway with Josh Klinghoffer.
• 2012: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
• 2022: A Hollywood Walk of Fame star, plus two albums with Frusciante: Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen.

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Frequently asked questions

Who are the current members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers?

The current members are Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (bass), Chad Smith (drums) and John Frusciante (guitar).

Who were the original Red Hot Chili Peppers?

The original members were Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons, friends from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles.

How many guitarists have the Red Hot Chili Peppers had?

The band has had eight guitarists: Hillel Slovak, Jack Sherman, DeWayne McKnight, John Frusciante, Arik Marshall, Jesse Tobias, Dave Navarro and Josh Klinghoffer. Frusciante has had three separate stints.

Which Red Hot Chili Peppers member died?

Founding guitarist Hillel Slovak died of a heroin overdose on June 25, 1988, at age 26. Former members Jack Sherman (2020) and D. H. Peligro (2022) have also died.

Why did John Frusciante leave the Red Hot Chili Peppers?

Frusciante quit in 1992, in the middle of the Blood Sugar Sex Magik tour, struggling with sudden fame and drug addiction. He left again in 2009 to focus on solo music and returned in 2019.

Is Flea Australian?

Yes. Flea was born Michael Balzary in Melbourne, Australia, in 1962, and moved to the United States as a child.

Sources

• Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wikipedia
• Red Hot Chili Peppers official site
• Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
• Birth and death dates: Wikidata

Image credits

• Red Hot Chili Peppers members. Design by The LA Note using photos of Flea by Stefan Brending (CC BY-SA 3.0) and Anthony Kiedis by Hel Davies (CC BY-SA 2.0).
• Red Hot Chili Peppers live in London, June 26, 2022. Photo: Kreepin Deth, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
• Flea and Chad Smith at the Ohana Festival in Doheny Beach, California, 2019. Photo: Raph_PH, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
• Anthony Kiedis. Photo: Hel Davies from United Kingdom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
• Flea. Photo: Stefan Brending (2eight), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
• Chad Smith. Photo: Sven Mandel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
• John Frusciante. Photo: Hel Davies from United Kingdom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
• Hillel Slovak. Photo: John Coffey, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
• Josh Klinghoffer. Photo: Fartijo100, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
• Dave Navarro. Photo: Stuart Sevastos, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
• Jack Irons. Photo: Dar4765, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.